


I slithered here from Eden

by koalaboy



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Garden of Eden, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-04-24 14:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19175134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalaboy/pseuds/koalaboy
Summary: Once the whole overreaction with the apple was said and done, Crowley--then Crawly--had no orders and no company except each other.





	I slithered here from Eden

Crawly hummed softly, admiring the bright colours of a newly flowering plant in the Garden. He had never seen such colours in Heaven, but now he saw it reflected in the stars above. He wondered if the colour was created especially for Earth or if it was his new eyes. The cool night breeze rustled through the feathers of his wings and he pulled them in tight to shield himself. He was far too busy admiring the plants as he walked, that when his foot suddenly landed in the small stream which flowed down from the mountains, he was caught by surprise. It was cold, wet, and unfamiliar. He hissed loudly, flicking the water off. It took him a moment to recover. 

“Interessssting…” he murmured, crouching to take a closer look.

“It’s called ‘water’, serpent,” said the angel, “It comes as a gift from the heavens in rain. The humans need it to nourish them.”

Crawly splashed it at Aziraphale’s feet with a cocky smirk and unfurled himself to his full height like a snake uncoiling, “Come to banish me, too?”

Aziraphale stood there, puzzled, his mind ticking over. He hadn’t really thought about it. “No, I… It surprised me... your still being here, that is.”

The demon raised his eyebrows, which was new for him, “Where else would I be?”

“Well, I don’t know, I assumed you’d go back to Hell. Temptation successful and all.”

Crawly shrugged and turned, staggering, with all the might of someone who was getting used to legs, uphill. 

“Why haven’t you gone back to Heaven, then? You closed up the gate, there’s no getting back in. No need for a Guardian.”

Aziraphale followed him hesitantly, a few paces behind, “No one has specifically told me to leave.”

“Me neither,” Crawly replied. 

He stopped on the top of a small hill where the Tree of Knowledge stood. Its apples shone even in the moonlight. A moon, he thought, how wonderful it looked from Earth. 

“Why are we here, Crawly?” asked Aziraphale. He was growing impatient.

Crawly plucked an apple from its branch, tossing it in the air like a play thing and catching it.

Aziraphale gasped, “You, stop that! You mustn’t! I will have to smite you if you continue!”

“Don’t you wish we could know the difference between good and evil too, Angel?” he said, ignoring his threat.

The angel opened his mouth to disagree, but found himself unable to, “It… it isn’t our place to know…”

“Sure would make our jobs a whole lot easier, though,” he mused, turning the apple over in his hand. 

“I think you should put it back now.”

“All I ever did was ask ‘why’,” he muttered, “I only wanted to know. Here’s my opportunity.”

Aziraphale held his breath and waited for some sort of divine or not-so-divine intervention, but there was none.

Suddenly, the demon closed his fist, squishing the apple in it and watching as the pulp and seeds fell to the ground. 

He growled, rage and betrayal seething behind his eyes. This is why he Fell, Aziraphale thought. He’d only ever seen such emotion on the face of Lucifer. 

Crawly took in a breath, “I’ll learn it for myself than take what She gives me.” 

Aziraphale paused - both of them did. It was strange to hear the Almighty so gendered. In fact, it was the first time they had been at all. Crawly’s mouth tasted bitter and he spat to try and get it out, “God didn’t appreciate that.”

“The Almighty is ineffable to language, Crawly,” Aziraphale explained.

“Thanks, yes, I know that,” he said. “What do we do now?” 

Aziraphale was still reeling from the demon’s complete disregard for punishment from the Almighty or one of their personal soldiers. Although, he supposed, there was nothing left God could do to him. From an angel’s point of view, a Fall was the worst thing that could ever happen to them. Little did he know, living with the trauma of it all was much, much worse.

Crawly sat at the base of the tree, which was beginning to whither and die. Or maybe it was beginning to change. He drummed his fingers on the earth and squished any unfortunate ants that tried to climb on him. Aziraphale looked at him and scowled, shifting uncomfortably, “Eve is expecting soon. What will become of that child, I don’t know.”

Crawly looked up at him, an evil grin on his face, “Let’sss play a game.”

“I don’t make bets with demons,” he insisted.

“This child will be the first born of humankind. I doubt Hell will leave him be. They’ll want to prove their point.”

“And what is that?”

“That we were right all along, that humans are flawed.” Crawly’s eyes flickered away from him. Yes, he agreed that humans were flawed, but he wasn’t sure that was a bad thing. Lucifer had only spoken to him once in Heaven, but they had both agreed on it. 

Aziraphale watched him, unaware of the awkward silence that was hanging around them both, “If you’ll excuse me… I need to attend to some of the plants.”

Crawly stood, bouncing to his feet, eyes wide and a big grin on his face, “I’ll help, angel!”

“Oh, I don’t think-...” Aziraphale saw how his face fell, the excitement and joy draining from him. He hated to see anyone sad, even a demon. He had been an angel once, after all, and Aziraphale could still see his wings and glowing halo, albeit broken. “Okay. This way.”


End file.
